


Go West

by jinzou_enemy



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Early Mornings, Established Relationship, Fluff, Lazy Mornings, M/M, Mafia AU, Neighbors, Pre-Slash, also like. a short fight scene if you don't want to see that., also tagging those two bc they're relevant for all the chapters. heehoo, in the mafia au chap theres mentions of alcohol, it wont go above T tho, rating may also change as chapters are added, tags will be updated as chapters are added!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:46:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25484890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinzou_enemy/pseuds/jinzou_enemy
Summary: just a set of drabbles involving The Boys...chapters will range from being gen, pre-slash, and established relationship! just a bit of variety, since i can never make up my mind on one.1. childhood friends AU..?2. flowershop AU!3. mafia AU4. early mornings...5. neighbour AU! sorta?more to be added :)
Relationships: Hakaze Kaoru/Mikejima Madara
Comments: 18
Kudos: 30





	1. Childhood Friends AU

**Author's Note:**

> so! i didn't really get the chance to participate in that rarepair week floating around twitter, but i liked some of the prompts and wanted to get some writing juice back by doing short, drabble style chapters! so here we go :D

“You’re going already?” The question came out in a whine, paired with an expression that was obviously upset.    
  
The other child just shuffled his feet, a pout already forming.   
  
“Well,  _ yeah.  _ Mum can’t stay out that long ‘cuz her health isn’t great. And even though it’s fun playing with you, I don’t wanna see her so tired.”  _  
_ _  
_ In response, Madara just looked back and forth between Kaoru and his mother. “It’s fine! I can be the ‘Mama’, see?” He grins, putting his hands on his hips as he puffs out his chest. “That way, you can stay longer  _ and _ your Mama doesn’t have to push herself by staying out late!”   
  
Kaoru’s expression, which had previously been dejected, brightens at the proposed idea, and he looks back towards his mother with a sparkle in his eye.   
  
Letting out an indulgent chuckle, she leans over to ruffle both their hairs.   
  
“While it’s a very  _ creative _ idea,” Their expressions grew even more excited, if possible, “That isn’t possible.” Only to drop.    
  
Paired with two disappointed faces, Kaoru’s mother just sighs, her own expression apologetic. “Don’t be like that, boys. There’s always tomorrow, or the day after. It’s how you both met, isn’t it?” She winks. “I’ll still be taking Kaoru here whenever I can, so there’s no need for Madara-kun to worry.”    
  
Madara gnaws on his lip, before shoving out his hand, pinky extended. The previously pensive expression had been replaced with a wide grin. “Okay then, let's make a pinky promise on it! Let’s meet up again at this park, next week! Same time as earlier today!”    
  
“A pinky promise?” Kaoru’s nose scrunches, and he squints at Madara incredulously. “But those are for  _ girls!  _ And why are you making such a big deal of this anyway?”   
  
He gets a pinch on his nose from his mother, at that one.    
  
“And  _ who _ has been teaching you that? Not your father, I hope.”    
  
Despite the show of bickering from mother and son, Madara grin still faltered at the last part of Kaoru’s reply, his gaze drifting over to Kaoru’s mother.    
_  
'Your Mama’s been looking more and more tired, recently.’ _

_ ‘She looks too fragile to be healthy. Like even the wind could blow her over.’  _

_ 'Kaoru, I can’t tell if you’re ignoring it or you really can’t see-’ _ _  
_ _  
_ Shaking his head as if to rid it of all the thoughts that were building up, Madara used his spare hand to reach for Kaoru’s, wrangling it so that their pinkies were linking.   
  
“C’mon,  _ pleaaaaase? _ ” He stuck out his bottom lip, making puppy-eyes at Kaoru, “It’s just in case we don’t bump into each other until then!”    
  
Kaoru’s indecision only lasted a few more seconds, before he tightened the grip his pinky had on Madara’s, giving their joined hands a shake. “Fiiine~. There we go. Happy now?”    
  
Madara nodded his head enthusiastically, and loosened their connected pinkies so that he could sweep Kaoru into a hug. The blonde squeaked in surprise, but eventually relaxed into it, hugging back.    
  
When they parted, Madara gave Kaoru one final grin. “I’m definitely now! I’ll see you next week~ Or else you’ll hafta cut your pinky off!”    
  
Kaoru’s expression, which had previously been flushed with happiness, froze.   
  
“..What?” With the other’s face rapidly paling and looking just about ready to  _ cry _ , Madara hurriedly corrected himself.   
  
“Kidding, kiddiiing!” He waves his hands in front of his frantically, gaze darting up to where Kaoru’s mother looked mildly horrified. “Hahaha, I was just saying that ‘cuz of how pinky promises actually originated from  _ yubikiri! _ No worries, Kaoru!” 

_ Oops.  _

“Oh, is that it? You sometimes say such weird things, Madara.” The cheery expression is back, and Madara ignores how Kaoru’s mother, though laughing it off as well, still had a concerned tint to her expression.    
  
“Sorry to cut you boys short, but it’s time to go, Kaoru.” Kaoru blinked, as if he had forgotten why they had been making the pinky promise to begin with, and looked from his mother back to Madara.    
  
“Mmm..” He nodded and took his mother’s hand into his own, giving Madara a wave as they began to walk away. “I’ll see you next week, then!”    
  
Madara’s enthusiastic waving slowed as Kaoru and his mother got further away, until they were just blips in the distance, at which point it stopped completely.    
  
A brief glance around the playground. No one else was there. The shadows were growing longer, everything cast in warm hues from the sunset, but without Kaoru there, most of the warmth only felt skin deep.    
  
…Right. He needed to go home too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i started writing this drabble with madara and kaoru just being cute childhood friends but here we are. help. i swear i didn't mean to edge this into mild angst, my fingers just type it out


	2. Flowershop AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kaoru works at a flowershop, and he's dating madara! ...that's...about it!

The bell jingled softly, and Kaoru looked up from where he had been browsing Twitter, quickly pocketing his phone in hopes that the customer wouldn’t catch him.  
  
Any panic that had been building quickly dies when he realises _who_ exactly just entered.  
  
“Madara-kun, you _know_ I still have about half an hour or so of my shift left.”  
  
“I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about! I’m just here to buy flowers for my loooovely boyfriiiend?” Madara grins, and it only widens as Kaoru’s exasperated expression cracks into something more fond. 

“ _Right.”_ He rolls his eyes, huffing in amusement, _“_ S~o, what were you looking for?”  
  
Madara hums. “Some of those pink peonies, and some red roses.. Oh! How about Lily of the valley and white camellias too~?”

With a nod, Kaoru turns around and begins to gather the listed flowers for the bouquet. He has to stop the embarrassed flush that threatens to creep up his face. Making a bouquet for _himself..._ He’s glad that there’s no one else in the shop right now.  
  
At first he had thought Madara was just listing off flowers he had spotted around the room, but then the meanings of each of them slowly dripped into his mind as he grabbed them.  
  
_Bashfulness, romantic love, adoration…_ _  
_  
“You sure put a lot of thought into this..” The sentence is mumbled under his breath, but Madara must’ve been close enough to hear it anyway, with how he laughs. The flush on Kaoru’s face just grows worse.  
  
Back to concentrating, he grabs a couple stems of greenery just to fill the empty space when he makes the bouquet, before heading back over to the worktable to assemble it.

He stiffens slightly at the feeling of arms being loosely wrapped around his waist, followed by a chin dropping onto his shoulder.  
  
“What makes you say that? Hahaha.” Having Madara’s voice so close to his ear is _almost_ enough to distract him, but he has a job to do.  
  
“I know you’re trying to make me say them aloud, you know~. Spare me the embarrassment, hm~?” He turns to the side briefly to give Madara a quick peck, before all his focus is put back into arranging the bouquet. 

He continues to work on it, trying not to relax too much into Madara’s embrace, and it’s finished before long. It is with _great_ reluctance does he pry his boyfriend off, if only because he needs to actually do what his job description is. That being to give the bouquet to his customer.

“That’ll be 4500 yen, Madara-kun~” He turns up the charm, winking as he holds out his hand for the payment. “Sorry, but no discounts. Not even if you’re my boyfriend.”  
  
Though he gives an exaggerated sigh, there’s a smile on Madara’s face as he pulls his wallet out of his pocket, holding out the required payment.  
  
“What a lovely arrangement! As expected of Kaoru-san, you really did manage to make the combination work in the best way possible~ ☆ ”  
  
Rolling his eyes, he takes the money, handing over the bouquet in return. “Such a flatterer. Are we sure that _I’m_ the flirtatious one here~? Uweh--”  
  
Kaoru cuts off abruptly, blinking as the bouquet he’s _just_ made is thrust back in front of his face, and he looks at Madara questioningly.  
  
“Did you forgeeet? We _were_ going on a date once you finished work! I’m just here to pick you up~” There’s a smug look on his face, and Kaoru does a double-take as he reaches for his phone and checks the time.  
  
...Huh. Just like Madara had said, his shift really _was_ over.  
  
Looking back over, his boyfriend is grinning at him expectantly, the smug edge having softened into something more fond. He huffs, leaning over to press a soft kiss to Madara’s lips before leaning back, already in the process of untying his apron.  
  
“Just give me a second- I need to close up. _Then,_ we can go on that date~.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like this AU could be expanded on a little more, but this is good for now. :) as always, thank you for reading! comments are appreciated, even if they're not needed. <3


	3. Mafia AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kaoru is an ex-hitman turned bartender informant. madara occasionally comes to him for information. not a particularly romantic chapter, nor is it an established relationship, but there are definitely hints of something more here and there.

“So, what are you here for this time?”    
  
The man in front of him looks up from his glass questioningly. Though the tilt of his head communicates an innocent curiosity, there’s a knowing glint in his eyes that tells Kaoru that Madara already knows what he means. 

He finally pauses in the polishing of the glass in his hands, putting it to the side. The soft thud of the glass against the wooden bar finally prompts Madara to reply to Kaoru’s original question.   
  
“Haha, I have a feeling you already know the answer to that question, thouugh~?” Madara takes another sip of his whisky, and Kaoru watches him swirl the liquid around the ice ball. He huffs softly.    
  
“Maybe..~ But I just thought it’d be polite to ask. I wouldn’t want to assume.” He eyes Madara intentionally, before sweeping his gaze around to the rest of the bar. It isn’t a big place, not by a long shot, but there are still a couple other customers lingering. It  _ was _ late on a Sunday night, after all. And he doubted they were here for the same thing that Madara was. 

There’s silence between them for the next few seconds, Madara glancing back down to his whisky nonchalantly before throwing it back, finishing the remainder in one gulp.    
  
“So that’s how it iiis...In that case. Yup. I’ve already had my drink, so it’s the other thing. Unless you’re considering giving me another one on the house!” 

Madara barks out a laugh, much to Kaoru’s resignation. While he had expected it, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have to wish he wouldn’t do it.   
  
“We’ll see. Maybe you get back from this job, hm~? As a reward for a job well done..~” Madara’s eyes brighten up at that one, and Kaoru can’t help but to give him a slight smile in response. “So. Is this about those punks who’ve been after Kanata-kun as of late?”   
  
“Ah! Sharp as ever, Kaoru-san! That’s exactly it~.” Madara hums, taking a look around the room himself. “There’ve been a couple people getting cocky lately. I would take care of it myself, but they’ve been aaawfully busy, trying to get at Kanata-san.”   
  
With one more casual glance around the room, Kaoru crouches down, opening the cupboards below his workbench to take a look for what Madara had wanted.   
  
“I still can’t believe you come to me for information, despite being fully aware that I don’t do this on a full-time basis anymore,” He keeps his tone relaxed, making sure that it won’t draw attention. “I’m s~ure there are other informants that have cheaper rates, as well as more availability. Mikejima-kun really is strange.”   
  
He finally pops his head up again, manila folder in hand.   
  
As he passes it over their fingers brush, and Kaoru can’t help but let the touch linger. He lets out a soft exhale when Madara doesn’t make a note of it, taking the folder with a small nod of thanks. 

He isn’t sure what he’d say, if he did. There isn’t really anything he  _ could _ say. It hasn’t exactly been high on his priority list, to think of what it meant. 

Exchange done, he moves to serve another customer near the tail end of the barbench, giving Madara time to himself to look over the contents of the folder he’d just been handed. 

The next hour continues as normal, as if the last few minutes had never happened. Kaoru continues to chat to his usual customers, watching as people flow in and out of the bar. In the corner of his eye, Madara continues to pour over various photos and documents, occasionally sipping from his glass. Some time while he wasn’t looking, money had also been placed on the counter. 

Before long, the bar is empty of customers. It isn’t all too surprising, considering how it was a Sunday night, but what  _ was _ surprising was Madara’s presence.   
  
“You usually leave after paying. Is something up?”    
  
“Nothing, nothing. ...Actually, there  _ is _ something _. _ Would you-”   
  
Madara abruptly cuts off as the bell jingles, signalling the entrance of a new customer. Kaoru is about to nudge him to continue, but he stiffens upon taking in  _ who _ exactly just entered. 

“..Friends of yours, Mikejima-kun~?” He’s eyeing the guns the pair already have in hand, fingers inching towards the gun he kept in the alcove of his workbench, behind some of the syrups. 

Kaoru watches as Madara notices his reaction and casually looks behind him, eyes quickly taking in all of the details. The brunette swivels his chair around, hopping to his feet with a chuckle.    
  
“Haha, nope! Anyone who’s aiming to injure Kaoru-san would neever be a friend of mine~?”    
  
Before either man can open their mouth, Madara darts forward, grabbing one of their wrists and  _ twisting _ . The man in question lets out a shout of pain, and the gun clatters to the floor.    
  
Kaoru’s already on his way to get out from behind the bar when he hears a gunshot, and his eyes widen. Shit. The grip on his own gun gets painfully tight, and he raises it quickly, taking aim on the remaining man who was already ready to take another shot at Madara, who’s kneeling over the unconscious body of the first man. 

The gun was more of a last resort, not wanting to have blood spilt in his bar, but if he  _ had _ to..

It doesn’t come to that, luckily enough. Kaoru lets out a surprised snort as the remaining man never gets to take that second shot, Madara kicking out a leg behind him to trip the man up. It’s that movement in of itself that reassures Kaoru that the brunette hadn’t been shot. Or at least, if he  _ had _ , it wasn’t serious enough for Madara to be immobile. 

..Then again, that wasn’t saying much, since this was Madara he was talking about. 

Kaoru just watches Madara take care of the rest, his heart rate slowly coming down once more as both men are rendered unconscious and chucked out the front door. 

“Sheesh..not a bodyguard for nothing, huh..That was a pretty quick takedown. Of  _ two  _ people no less.” He lowers his gun, placing his other hand on his hip. “Still-”    
  
He clicks his tongue, walking out from behind the bar to observe the damage done.    
“You’d think that they’d stick with something a l~ittle more subtle, especially with how this isn’t exactly a private bar..~” He crouches down to get closer to the floor, running a finger over the hole created by the bullet.    
  
“Look on the bright side! At least it was the floor that was shot, and not the bar itseeeelf? Haha. That way, it’ll be easier to hide! Less noticeable as well~.”    
  
Madara readjusts his coat as he comes closer, patting Kaoru on the shoulder. It nearly makes Kaoru flinch, but he manages to suppress it. He’s just..feeling jumpy.

Brushing off any of the leftover adrenaline, Kaoru stands up straight again, walking back around to his bar to put the gun back. “I think I’m gonna close up early tonight, after  _ that _ fun surprise. Not really in the mood to serve anyone else tonight. It should be fine- I usually close up in an hour or two anyway~.”   
  
He realises he’s rambling, but Madara doesn’t seem to mind all that much, so he continues.    
  
“So, what were you about to say earlier? Before you were cut off.”    
  
Madara blinks, looking at Kaoru, and the blonde watches as the question processes through the other’s head until he hits a realisation.   
  
“Haha, thaaat? I was wondering if you wanted to go out to lunch, tomorrow.” Kaoru raises an eyebrow, and Madara continues. “As friends would be good, of course! But…”   
  
_ There it is.  _   
  
“I’d like Kaoru-san’s expertise! Since I’ve concluded from the folder you’ve given me that those people who’ve been giving Kanata-san trouble will be around that area during noon tomorrow…~”   
  
He waves a hand dismissively as Madara goes to pull out his wallet again. “Don’t worry about this time. Just pay for lunch, and I’ll call that your payment.”    
  
The grin he gets in response makes him glad he didn’t just ask for money. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this AU honestly has more to it, but i'm using this drabble fic as a change to get some of my musings about it out into the open! i hope i'll be able to write more about this particular AU, honestly. it's a fun one... 
> 
> A/N: THESE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DRABBLES AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS CHAPTER? PLEASE ENJOY.


	4. Sleepy Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this one isn't all that creative of an AU, but it does take place in a time where they've already been dating (but not for *too* long).... it's pretty much just madara being sappy for 600~ words, but i hope it's enjoyable regardless!

When Madara wakes up, it’s to the sun barely peeking through the window, just beginning to colour the room with a hazy warmth. His vision is still blurry, but it eventually clears as he continues to blink, taking in more of the view in front of him.

Or more specifically, the _person_ in front of him. 

Kaoru lies opposite to Madara, his face soft, hair falling loosely onto his closed eyes. Although nowadays his expressions were more tender in contrast to the ones seen during their school life, it was still another experience altogether to see the unguarded nature from being unconscious. 

His expression was a lot less animated, for one. That went without saying, considering the whole _sleeping_ thing, but it was still rare to see an emotion so neutral on Kaoru’s face nowadays. His brows were relaxed, lips slightly parted as he breathed deeply. 

He didn’t seem uncomfortable in the slightest, and the implications behind that made Madara’s own breath hitch slightly before going back to normal. 

Distractions, distractions... 

The blanket atop them is light, he notes semi-frantically. He had swapped it out with his heavier winter one just earlier that month. But even with the slight chill of the morning air, the heat from the person sleeping beside him was more than enough to keep him cosy. 

… And he’s right back to square one. He wished that his distraction had lasted longer, and not in fact _made it worse,_ but he doesn’t find himself complaining all that much when he goes back to focusing on Kaoru. 

Unable to help himself, he reaches forward, finger slipping between strands of hair to move it out of the way, leaving Kaoru’s face bare. 

From there, he traces the lines of the other’s cheekbones, jaw, chin; memorising the shape of the other’s face, even if he didn’t need it for any particular reason. 

The moment feels so tender, so _warm_ , that he has to swallow and close his eyes for a moment, an attempt to calm his heart that had begun to pound loud enough to hear it in his ears.

It doesn’t work, much to his dissatisfaction, and so he decides to just roll with the punches. 

He begins to shuffle closer, pausing every time Kaoru lets out a small noise of discomfort, or any hints that he was beginning to wake up. It isn’t something he has much trouble with, despite how his movements are made more sluggish than usual thanks to still being drowsy, and Madara is able to make his approach without any difficulties. 

This close, he finds himself filled with a different sort of courage to his usual self-confidence. Maybe it was the fact that he had managed to get so close without Kaoru waking up, the other unconsciously giving away how much he trusted Madara. Maybe it was just his brain still waking up, clouded over with the possibility to brush this off as just a dream. 

Regardless, Madara licked his lips, and parted his mouth to murmur words that he was still too nervous to say with conviction whilst the other was awake. 

_“I love you.”_

It was paired with a hand brought up to gently run through Kaoru’s hair, and a smile tugs at his face when the blonde leans into the touch. 

Maybe one day Madara would be able to say those words to Kaoru whilst the other was conscious, but for now… it still felt too early in their relationship. A relationship that, whilst going smoothly for now, still felt tentative in its bond; not quite at the level of _love_. At least, not when they were both fully awake and aware. 

But right now, he could pretend to feel confident in his answer, indulging in the way the words sat comfortably in his chest, feeling _right_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god. fuck. i've been having madakao brainworms lately and this one was inspired by a talk i had with a friend. i hope i managed to communicate the kind of ...dreamlike? feel i wanted with this drabble!!


	5. Neighbours AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> based off this one prompt: 
> 
> "we live in two separate buildings but our apartment balconies face each other and there's this cat that likes mooching off of the both of us and we have accidentally become cat parents and we have long conversations with each other and I might be in love but I dont know ur name"

It’s another warm night, when Madara hears the rustling from his balcony.

Normally he’s the type to be alert just from that simple noise, to jump up and rush to check what it is. 

However, this isn’t an unusual occurrence. It’s fairly run of the mill, as a matter of fact. And this is why Madara takes his time, continuing to make his way around the kitchen; only  _ now _ , he makes a detour to open the fridge again, grabbing out the leftover roast chicken from the other night. 

He hums to himself, stripping off a couple bite-size pieces, before placing the rest back into the fridge once more. That should be enough; his little guest was surprisingly well fed, for a stray. 

He grabbed the mug of tea with his free hand- it was what he came to the kitchen for anyways, and made his way to the balcony door, nudging it open further with his foot.

The sight that greets him is one that he expects: a black cat, caught in the middle of hopping into one of his potted plants. 

She barely fits in there, amusingly enough. Maybe once upon a time she would’ve been able to comfortably sit in the potted plant, but now? It was like watching bread that had risen a little too high. 

Green eyes are watching him carefully, the rest of her body seemingly frozen in the middle of whatever action it has been about to perform. Her gaze quickly spots the chicken in his spare hand, and he gets a loud ‘mrreeooww’ for his efforts, the cat immediately hopping out of the potted plant.

“Ah, Sesame-san! You’re hungry, huuh..” He wiggles the piece of chicken in front of her, looking on in amusement as she jumps, repeatedly trying to get it. Though it’s fun to watch for a couple seconds, he eventually gives in and lowers his hand, allowing her to snatch it away. 

Backing away, he takes a sip from his tea as he sits down in one of the chairs he has out on his balcony. 

“So Sesame-chan is bothering  _ you _ today? Unlucky~. But that’s a win for me.” His head snaps up at the voice, immediately  _ (-of course he’d find it right away, he’d know that voice anywhere by now-)  _ finding the source _. _

Metres away, in the apartment building across from him, a very familiar blonde is leaning on his balcony rail, lips quirked.

His mouth replies instinctually, even as his mind is playing catchup from the pleasant surprise. “I dunno if I’d say that! Sesame-san is good company- arguably better than  _ your  _ company, Neighbour-san~!”    
  
“Right, right. I’d be offended, but your opinions are u~sually pretty questionable.” 

“How cruel!” He clutches at his chest with an exaggerated motion, but the curl of his mouth betrays the light tone. His acting pays off though, and he hears a soft chuckle echo from the other’s balcony. The sound makes him glance up, not able to help his curiosity for the expression that matched the noise. 

Even from across the gap of the alleyway below, Madara can see the way the moonlight reflects off his neighbour’s eyes, making them sparkle. It highlights the other’s hair as well, giving the whole sight an almost..  _ ethereal _ gleam. The word his mind supplies almost makes him snort. ‘No need to be so dramatic’, he reminds himself, though it’s a good thing he isn’t saying it out loud. 

Shaking his head, he averts his eyes in favour of looking back towards the cat once more. 

“Speaking of Sesame-san...she used to be so scraggly, but look at her now! In fact, she might be a little overweiiight? I’m surprised she can still manage climbing up to our balconies!” 

His neighbour blinks, before squinting in an attempt to spot the black cat from Madara’s own balcony. 

“It’s probably because we both feed her, don’t you think~?” A sigh, and Madara watches a nimble hand thread through blonde hair. “It’s not good for my poor wallet either, y’know? The other day I had to skimp on lunch because I accidentally overspent when buying food for Sesame-chan...it was pretty embarrassing, haha~. ”

Madara almost pipes up that ‘Maybe Neighbour-san shouldn’t spend so much on food for a stray cat!’, but then that’d make him a hypocrite. They both paid for Sesame’s company in food, so only the best would suffice. 

The thought gives him an idea, though. It’s not exactly a  _ logical _ one; something born out of late night musing, and impulsiveness. He surely wouldn’t have made the jump in logic had it been any other night (at least, he hopes not). 

“If thaaat’s the case, how about I take you out for lunch tomorrow!” He gets widened eyes in return, but pushes on. “And then only you can feed Sesame-san tomorrow. It’s a win-win situation! We reduce her mealtimes,  _ and  _ you get to eat a proper lunch. Hows’ that sound?” 

For a couple seconds, he stands there watching for his neighbour’s reaction, his expression schooled into something casually light. The close attention he’s paying makes it easy to notice the minute details, even from across the gap between them. 

Surprise is first, predictably enough. Embarrassment follows after it, the slight flush on the other’s cheeks making Madara swallow. Hopefully it was from the  _ good _ kind of embarrassment. 

The silence lasts a couple moments longer, before his neighbour’s reply cuts through it. 

“If you’re gonna take me on a date, the  _ least _ you could do is let me know your name,” the other teases, but Madara is paying close enough attention to notice the slight waver in his voice. It’s a relief to know that he’s not all that composed either. He’s already feeling giddy from the positive affirmation, and he hopes to the heavens above that it wasn’t too obvious. “I need something to put in my phone under your number, don’t I~?” 

Leaning forward, he can’t help the way his grin widens, and he hopes that it doesn’t look too eager. “It’s Madara. Mikejima Madara~! This would be around the time I’d say to ‘just call me Mama!’, but that prooobably wouldn’t be too appropriate, with how I’d like to get to know you.” His hand brushes against the back of his neck sheepishly, raised subconsciously. 

His neighbour hums in response, expression seemingly fond once he had noticed Madara’s slight fluster. 

“Well,  _ Mikejima-kun,”  _ His heart flutters a little from hearing his name on the other’s lips, even if it was only his last name. Oh, he had it  _ bad.  _ “My name is Kaoru Hakaze, but feel free to put my name under anything you’d like~.” A blink, before Kaoru-  _ and God, he already wanted to be able to say it aloud _ \- clears his throat. “Well, almost anything. Don’t do anything too embarrassing, alright?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who's back? it's me. i'm back. 
> 
> not for long though, because my writer's block has been horrible OTL. but i wanted to finish this drabble, especially since i've been sitting on it for a while! ty to the people who read these, you guys are the best ;__; 
> 
> i haven't actually proofread this chapter, so i might make some changes when i wake up tomorrow. until then, i hope there isn't too many things wrong in this o7


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